Sunday, December 30, 2012

NEW Fat Burning Routine

Every couple months or so I change my workouts. The reason I do this is because repetition - after a while - can strain your muscles, be less effective, and boring... Your muscles need to keep working in different ways because we use our muscles everyday for different things. We may execute, daily, similar movements which in turn require similar muscles, BUT we never use all of the same muscles. Did you know that there can be anywhere between 640-850 muscles in the human body? So, if you're only exercising  1,3,5, or even 10 of these muscles then you haven't even made a dent! Besides this, continuously working on the same muscles will wear your muscles down and will increase the risk of getting RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). I could talk about RSI as a whole other topic and cannot stress the importance of proper technique while exercise enough. BUT keep in mind that correct technique only minimizes the risk of getting RSI, so if you're still using the same routine you've been using for the past 3 months, it's time to change it. To get or maintain a strong physique you need to change up and expand your exercise routines. SO, here is my new routine:

Fat Burning Routine



 Go to my Workouts page to see all of my exercise routines.


Banana, Strawberry, & Blackberry Smoothie

Hey guys,

I have a new recipe for you!
I call it my Banana, Strawberry, & Blackberry Smoothie, or my Purple Drink. This drink is great for those mornings when you're lacking energy. SO, have it for breakfast or morning tea! Here's how you make it... 

Banana, Strawberry, & Blackberry Smoothie

 Serves 2

Equipment:

  • Blender (with the lid on)
  • Tall glass/es
  • Measuring cup
  •  Dessert spoon

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana, diced
  • 4 strawberries, diced/quatred
  • 4 blackberries*
  • 2 heaped scoops of 98% fat free Vanilla Yoghurt
  • 1 or 2 cups of milk**
  • 1heaped tablespoon of Manuka honey***
  • 5 blueberries (optional)
  • a few ice cubes (optional)

Method:

  1.  Put banana, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, ice cubes and milk into the blender, and blend on low for 20 seconds then on high till it is smooth and consistent as possible.
  2. Turn off blender and add the yoghurt and honey, then blend on low for another 20 seconds.
  3. Turn off blender, take off the lid, and pour your smoothie into your glasses.
  4. Enjoy!

 Notes:

Feel free to add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. Just remember to halve the amount of yoghurt (you don't want your smoothie too thick).
* If you don't like your smoothies to have little crunchy bits in it, then I suggest using mulberries instead.
** The number of cups you use will affect the thickness, amount, and strength of the smoothie.
*** Manuka honey has a rather mature flavour compared to other honeys and is my favourite honey to use. However, if you wish to make a sweet smoothie, use honey other than Manuka.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Diet Diary: Entry #3

Okay, so it is now day 11 of my 30 day diet and I'm feeling okay. I've tried to go 'full out' healthy and have failed [almost] miserably. BUT on the plus side I have been eating more health foods. I'm eating more fruits and veggies. I'm having smaller portions at lunch and dinner. And I'm not returning to the kitchen for seconds. I only allow myself a sugary meal for breakfast (because I just simply don't function without it) and allow myself some 'cheat foods.' I call them cheat foods because although they may possess healthy qualities they are still not healthy enough to be classed as a 'health food.' (I'll give you a list of cheat foods at the bottom of this post).

As a mum (no matter how young) I need as much energy as I can get (i.e. from sleep and food) so I need more carbs in my diet. Carbs are not bad and neither is fat. God specifically designed our bodies in a way that needs carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in order to function. The problem is not with consuming these, but is in eating more than what is necessary (for your individual bodies) and where they come from.

Example 1:
A steak for dinner is far healthier than a meat pie. The reason being, even though it has fat, steak has far less fat than a meat pie and is a natural fat - not a trans-fat. In an average meat pie there is about 38g of trans-fat - that's already half the amount of fat we should consume in an entire day (and that's not even including the fat we consumed earlier in the day).

Example 2:
Have a bowl of fruit if your hungry and low on energy. As opposed to the sometimes more preferred snack (a packet of chips) fruit has nutritional benefits and gives you energy which lasts longer.

As it is important to chose a health-beneficial meal, it is also important that we eat enough of each type of food (carbs, proteins, and fats) and that they are properly balanced. According to the food pyramid, our diets should consist of 59% carbohydrates, 29% proteins, and %12 fats.So you can still have your carbs and fats, just keep to the recommended percentage of daily intake of these and one of the easiest ways to do this is to always choose the healthier option. The healthier option will always have a little less fat and a little less kilojoules.

SO keeping that in mind, here is a couple of cheat foods Ive been eating to keep my energy up 'without totally destroying my diet.
  1. Oat bars (although the sugar and fat content can be quite high in an oat bar, oats are good for you, provide energy, and make a yummy snack).
  2. Gluten and fat free (or low fat) products (almost everyday I ruin my healthy eating streak because of my sweet-tooth, so I decided that eating  'healthier' versions of the sweet things I like would be better than actually consuming the higher fat and sugar sweets). Some gluten free products include breads and biscuits.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

New Ab Workout

Please visit my Workouts page to try out my new Ab Cruncher Workout. It's designed to focus on all of your abdominal muscles individually as well as simultaneously to help you get a fit and toned stomach. The advantages of a strong core include:

  • better balance
  • less back aches and strains
  • and, of course, a more appealing look for summer (when the bathing suits come out).

Diet Diary: Entry #2

So today I had...

The Good:

  • 1 large Strawberry
  •  1 cup of juice (Boost "Skinny")
  • Handful of organic chips and dip
  • 3 Milk teas
  • 1&1/2 Activia Vanilla yogurt
  • 1 celery stick
  • Water
The Bad:
  • 3 sandwiches made with wholemeal bread and veggie curry (the meal itself wasn't bad - except for maybe too much oil in the curry - I just put it under bad because I had 3 sandwiches!!)
  • 2 mini cookies (my son fed them to me to get me out of bed)
My problem:
The problem is I'm hungry all the time. Well, I'm not really hungry. I just eat out of boredom or I eat just because I want to taste something yummy. I'm also not drinking enough water :( All up though, I think I did a lot better today than I did yesterday. Part of it I think is simply because there's no junk to eat in my house. So, some advice to those who have incredibly poor self-control when it comes to food (like me) no worries, just don't buy junk again, because then if you're really "starving" you'll eat what's in your fridge - the veggies and the fruit.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Diet Diary: Entry #1

Today I ate...

The Good:
  • 1 Raisin toast with margarine
  • 1 Nectarine
  • 1/2 Avocado
  • 1 Handful of salted cashews
  • 3 Milk teas
  • 1 Lemon-ginger tea
  • 1 Peppermint tea
  • 1 Apricot
  • 1/2 a Large Strawberry
  • 2 small Celery sticks
  • 1/2 Apple
  • Water
  • 1 handful of Organic chips (1/2 chicken, 1/2 beetroot)
  • 2 Paninis
and...

The Bad:
  • 1 Soft Centre chocolate cookie
  • 1 Milo (10 tsps of it :s)
  • 2 small Sausages with tomato sauce (Argh! Already broke one of my main rules...)
  • 1 small bag of mini cookies
My body's response to the good:
  • The fruit was refreshing on a hot day and made me feel light
  • I overate when it came to the Panini (but the meal it self was fulfilling and yummy!)
  • The Organic chips were a bit too oily for my liking
  • I don't like my cashews salted... I will instead buy unsalted cashews and some other nuts too (like almonds)
  • I've noticed that the more water I drink in a day, the less heavy food I eat.
My body's response to the bad:
  • I felt nauseous after having so much Milo - not that Milo is a bad thing, just 10tsps of it is not healthy...  Oh! Here's a fun fact. My boyfriend's great grandfather, Thomas Mayne, invented Milo. They get a free supply of Milo every month!
  • The more sweet things I eat, the more hungry I get.

Monday, December 10, 2012

My New Diet!

SO, I'm about to start my new diet (I say start because I was supposed to start today and already ruined it). I don't really have a name for it as yet, but here's a quick description. It's plain and simple...

DO:
Eat healthy

DON'T:
Eat junk

Haha, so I was joking when I said it would be simple. No diet as extreme as this is easy. The reason I call it extreme is not because it's actually extreme (really, we should only be eating healthy anyway), but because I am almost going from one extreme to the next. Me, who indulges in sweets whenever I feel like it, is going to have to not just cut down the sweets, but ultimately cut them out altogether. NOW, this does not include the sugar I put in my tea or on my Weet-Bix in the morning. This also does not include the natural sugar in fruits and honey and all that other yummy stuff. Basically, I'm just not going to eat the man-made junk. I'm going all natural baby - well, almost...

So here's how I am going to select the food I eat:


  • Is this food nude? Does it look as if it's come straight out of nature, the way God made it (e.g. as it's picked off a tree, dug out of the ground)? Sausages - not a nude food.
  • If it's not nude, what's in it? Only eat it if all or most of the ingredients healthy (e.g. tuna bake: tuna, cheese, potatoes, and onion are healthy. BUT, even though apple pies have apples in it, the sugar content is way too high - so you wouldn't eat that).
  • If it has the word 'pie' in the name, don't eat it... Whether it's called shepherds pie, pepper and steak pie, pizza pie, apple pie, curry pie, cream pie, or anything pie don't eat it. Even if  it's a veggie pie - I don't care. Most pies, contain processed meat (which is NOT good for you) and it has too much pastry in it (or, more accurately, around it it), which brings me to...
  • If it's a pastry, don't eat it. This includes pies, sausage rolls, lasagna, pasta, AND baklava (any any other sweet or savory pastry). WAY too many kilojoules...
For now, I'm allowing any drinks because it's not like I drink anything besides water, tea, and juice. My short-term goals are to increase the amount of protein in my diet, and decrease the amount of carbs, and learn to enjoy and appreciate food the way God originally made them. God has blessed us with the wonderful gift of creativity, which means we can play experiment with how we make this food. BUT, let's keep it healthy. After all, god gave us food to keep us healthy and alive - not to rot and kill us. My long-term goals are to lose 'unhealthy' weight and to gain good health.

From now on, I plan to use this blog as if it were my food and exercise diary. I will keep you up-to-date with  new and healthy recipes I try or create, and with any new exercise routines to keep you fit! I will also continue to update this diet (and eventually give it a name) as it progresses and as I modify in hopes of meeting specific needs.

Please pray that this diet will come to fruition and pray for my self-control during this time. 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Food and Fitness Diary

Okay, so I tried out doing writing up a food and fitness diary for a couple of weeks and found that it helped me a bit.

 Here's how to do it:

1. Record
2. Evaluate
3. Note
4. Set Goals
5. Implement

I recorded everything I'd eaten that day and all exercise I'd done.
Example:
- Did 60 crunches today
- Did 10 push-ups
- Ate pasta
- Had wheetbix for breakfast with 2tsps sugar

I would then evaluate my diet and activity for that day. I put a tick next to the good and a cross next to the bad.
Example:
- Ate 2 fruits (tick)
- Ate 5 veggies (tick)
- Ate 6 chocolate biscuits (cross)
- Ate 2 lollies (tick, because 2 is enough for a treat)
- Did 60 crunches (tick)
- Did 10 push-ups (cross, because that's not enough)

After evaluating I would then write some notes.
Example:
- Didn't drink enough water today
- Need to walk more
- Ate plenty of fruits and veggies


The next step is to then set myself some goals for the next week/month.
Example:
- Tone up arms
- Start butt exercises
- Drink more water

The final step is to implement your goals or to put them into action. The next time you look at your diary (which should be the following night) or when you decide to check if you've achieved your goals, tick them off and start on some new goals.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Spam Sandwich

Here's another recipe for all you food lovers out there.

So, I was at home bored and hungry, but there was very little in the house to eat (we all know how that feels), so I started to experiment with what we had: bread, avocado, and spam. So I decided to make a sandwich for lunch.

Ingredients:
- 2 slices Wholemeal bread
- Avocado (do not use avocado dip)
- 2 thin slices of 50% less fat spam
- Margarine

Method:
1. Lightly toast the bread
2. Spread margarine onto toast
3. Scoop a bit of avocado onto each slice of toast, spreading it
4. Place your two slices of spam onto one slice of toast and place the other slice of toast on top to make a sandwich
5. (this is the best part) EAT it!

You can add or replace anything in this recipe, for e.g. tomatoes, slices or ham, beef, chicken, melt cheese - whatever you want! Just be sure to keep it healthy :)

Hope you enjoy my lunch idea XD

Dance Aerobics

So,

Yesterday I tried out a dance aerobics DVD I bought from ALDI a while ago, and it was so much fun! It was nowhere near as intense as I though it would be (which was a bit disappointing because I love to work up a sweat) BUT this DVD would be great for people who are new to dance, or exercise in general. Dance and aerobics are great for increasing stamina, flexibility, and strength, and this DVD infuses both together. So here it is:

Health Wellbeing, Mind Body Spirit, Your New Body (A low-impact cardio workout) PLUS Dance Aerobics (a funky dance based workout).

So, there's actually two parts to this DVD. 1. is a low-impact cardio workout (with the use of light handweights) and 2. is the dance aerobics.

I haven't tried out the 1st workout yet (however, I did take a sneak peak of it and it looks terrific!), but the dance aerobics was great. It was a fun 40 minute workout and a little bit challenging at times. I highly recommend this workout to anybody, especially if you're new to exercise.

Now, I'm not saying you must get this particular DVD. There are heaps of exercise DVDs out there for you to try. So shop around till you find something you like. I have a couple other DVDs from this series which I will try out soon and let you guys know what I think about them.


If you're interested in this particular DVD, or interested in the series go to: mind-body-spirit.com.au for more information.

Before, After


Before, After

Monday, October 8, 2012

Fitness in the Holidays

Hey guys,

Usually, exercising in the holidays is easier to manage because you have more time + (if you're a parent) the kids are home and they are there to keep you active and almost always on the go. But I personally find it hard to keep up my fitness during the holidays because I never have much physical activity on AND dance is never on in the holidays. So in a way, I think I'm worse off than those who don't regularly exercise 5 hours a week, because by holiday time I'm doing very little physical activity and then when I start dance again at the beginning of the new term I'm absolutely ACHING. Not to mention, disappointed because I can't kick my leg as high, or I've lost my turnout, or I feel heavy when I jump.

So this holiday I did something different to my usual holiday routine. I kept myself busy. My goal was to do something everyday. I decided to spend more time with friends, I helped my dad paint a room (which is a great workout for your back by the way) as well as do some gardening with my dad (also great for your back), took my son to the beach, went to prayer night and bible study, AND I also went to gym for 5 hours (for at least 3 hours each day). This holiday has been AWESOME!

Okay, so I don't have a gym membership, but Fitness First do a fitness program for teens in school called FFIT Holidays (which I did) and another program called FFIT Schools. This program has helped me keep fit during this school holiday and I even got to try out new stuff like:

- Zumba
- Body Combat
- Pilates
- leg press, chest press
- cycling
- and some strange yet exciting vibrating construction designed to tone, build, and relax muscles. It looks something like this:

So if you're still in school and find it hard to get motivated to exercise in the school holidays I highly recommend this program for you. I know that it has helped me a lot. Although I love dance, it's nice to learn how to work your muscles in other ways.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Mission Update

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd add a statement to my 'Mission' page. I was talking to two of my youth group and bible study friends about this blog and asked them to pray for it. And during this conversation with them (just through reflection and added input) I want to add a new mission statement, that being:

I'm not trying to be healthy for myself - that's what the world wants me to do - but because I am Christian, I live for Christ, not the world. So, who am I trying to be healthy for? Well that's easy, God. 

I personally believe that as a Christian, everything we do should be for God (well, the good things) and to glorify Him. But, yes, I know, we are all far from perfect so we're not always going to please Him; we are going to fail sometimes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. We can please God by taking care of the body He gave us. As my friends pointed out to me, by taking care of our bodies we will (hopefully) live longer, which means more time to spread the gospel. By taking care of our bodies we will be more energetic and in a better mood to spread the gospel, which means more listeners and more connection between people.

So there it is world. My new mission statement. If you're interested in joining the mission and/or have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Afflictions test our Endurance

Hi guys, this past month I've been looking through Romans and found this passage really encouraging, especially because I'm on my health and fitness mission. So I hope it will also encourage all of you out there who are trying to get fit. So here it is:

Romans 5:1-5

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produced endurance, endurance produces character, and proven character produces hope. This hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."*

Just remember guys, to keep reaching for your fitness goals, no matter how tough it may get. Because our afflictions build endurance, endurance builds character, and a well developed character produces hope - and this hope does not disappoint.

In Jesus' name, AMEN.

*HCSB

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Feeling sick?

Feel an infection coming on in your throat?
- Have a green tea with an added shaving of ginger and a slice of lemon (after drinking the tea, eat the lemon slice). Within 5 minutes you should feel your throat clearing.

Have a stomach ache or digestive problems?
- Have a peppermint tea or ginger tea OR have a peppermint tea with a shaving of ginger in it + a small tub of yogurt (and no, not yogo yogurt).

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Tea Tips:

Tea tip #1: Halve the number of teaspoons of sugar in your tea/coffee. E.g. if you put 3 sugars, only use 1.5 teaspoons. If you have two, cut down to 1 teaspoon.

Tea tip #2: Add a shaving of ginger and/or lemon to your tea. Not only do they add flavour to your tea, but are good for your all-round health. Lemon is a natural detox for your body and ginger is good for maintaining a healthy stomach and digestive system.

Tea tip #3: Tea time is the perfect time to have that little sugary treat you've aching for all day. Just one little treat such as a row of chocolate or a biscuit a day with your tea/coffee will eventually beat your urges for high-carb and high-sugar foods all the time. This is because your body learns to expect that treat and no longer craves for it (for your body knows that it's going to get it). However, you must moderate this intake of sweet treats - too much WILL ruin your efforts to maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Today's breakfast...

Some people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, I disagree - not with the value, just the wording of the phrase. ALL meals are important because our meals provide us with the energy we need throughout the day AND keeps our metabolisms going. So it is important that we don't skip any meals.

So why is there a lot of emphasis on breakfast? Well, my opinion is that because mornings are usually very busy (e.g. late for work, need to get those sleepy and moody teenagers out of bed, or get to early morning training - for all those young athletes out there) breakfast is the meal most people skip (if they, indeed, skip any meals at all). So this is why we need to focus on breakfast - make it part of your routine, not just another thing to 'fit' into your day.

So here are some of my breakfast tips:

1. If you're a weet-bix lover like me (because you smother it in sugar) here's a tip. Instead of covering your weet-bix in heaps of sugar, just sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on your weet-bix and then another teaspoon in the milk for a sweet-but-not-too-sweet breakie.

2. If cereal is not really your thing, but you do enjoy a cuppa in the morning, then try this. Swap your coffee/tea mug for a teacup*. With that, add a slice of raisin toast, a small handful of almonds (protein), followed by a small tub of yoghurt (for digestion).
 
Note: I prefer a breakie full of carbs to give me the burst I need to wake me up, which is why I generally have option 1. But if you prefer the idea of a low-GI breakie go for option 2 (the combination of carbs with proteins in a meal changes your energy to low-GI).

So there you have it. Option one for a keep energy boost and option 2 for low-GI. I realize that that these breakie plans are not particularly healthy, but the idea is to moderate yourself - not completely cut out the things you love.

* Instead of your normal tea or coffee, why not shake things up? Have a small cup of chai latte instead, or have a mug of herbal tea (will later post the befits of herbal tea and my own tea recipes).

GUESS WHAT!

Ok, I'll admit it right now - I WANT TO LOOK LIKE A SUPER-MODEL; A BALLERINA; AN ANYTHING that looks skinny, toned, healthy, happy, unafraid to rock shorts out in public, cellulite and stretch-mark free! But hey, I'll just never look like them. I eat too much (and too much of the foods I shouldn't eat), I can't run long distances, I don't enjoying working-out in a gym, and I HATE DIETS! So I guess God just hasn't made me that way. But he has given me the body I have now, so the least I can do is look after it; I could at-least  be healthier and fitter than what I am today. In fact Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; for you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. NIV*

Or in another translation:

Don't you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. HSCB#

So, I know this refers more to the spiritual, but it is also our obligation to take care of our bodies physically too, "for you[we] were bought at a price". So how am I going to do it? Well, I do love to dance...
Every Tuesday I have 45 mins of Hip Hop, followed by 45 mins of Senior Ballet. Thursdays I have an hour of pointe, followed by an hour of Adult Ballet/Contemporary, followed by 30mins of a private ballet lesson. What can I say - I love to dance! Ballet is my passion (if you haven't realized that already...). But I just don't get enough of it! So... GUESS WHAT!

This is the mission: to go from toxic and unhealthy to GLORIFYING GOD as I dance away my days. So here's my basic plan (however incomplete):

1. Dance everyday (whether freestyle or technique based)
2. Go for a bike ride once a week
3. Always choose the healthier alternative (but allow a small treat a day)
4. Use the Orbi-treck 3 times a week (10 min quick workout)
AND
5. Do my quick ab, arm, thigh, and butt workout EVERYDAY (will post my workout up soon)

So this blog is for anyone who's like me - wants to look like those women (or men) as I posted above but knows that we'll just never look like them, but still wants to be fit and healthy, LOVES to dance, and who want to show the world GOD'S GLORY merely through the creation of us! Join me on this journey. You can even help me out! Post links, advice, whatever! and I will share with you my workouts, health tips, and meal ideas.

*New International Version
# Holman Christian Standard Bible